Christian Benteke

Kicking off Tim Sherwood’s potential Spurs revolution is the striker Tottenham should have signed in the summer – Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke.

Admittedly, the Villa talisman’s performances have hit a bit of a lull this season; struggling to fully recover from a six-week injury stint on the sidelines, he hasn’t found a top flight goal since September.

But a 19-goal haul in his inaugural Premiership campaign tells everything you need to know about the 23 year-old’s potential, in addition to the fact he bagged a brace against Arsenal and found the net against Chelsea prior to this season’s hip flexor injury.

Getting on the scoresheet against the bigger sides is something Spurs have struggled with this season, and a problem Benteke could immediately address should he arrive this January.

He also measures in at 6 foot 3, is incredibly strong and mobile, and would offer the Lilywhites the kind of one-up-front service Roberto Soldado has failed to provide since the summer.

Benteke is a player for the future that can also contribute with urgent effect – judging from his first 18 months in England, there’s no doubt he’ll be one of the Premier League’s leading target men in the years to come.

But knowing full well they’re sitting on a golden egg, it will take a significant sum for the Villians to surrender their key striker midseason, potentially in excess of £25million.